SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Thursday discouraged students to travel to other parts of the country for higher studies because “there are elements of hatred” and instead encouraged them to opt for opportunities in the State.
Asserting that the environment outside Meghalaya is vitiating for students from the State, Sangma said, “It (the environment outside the State) is not conducive for them. There is a need to create opportunities to pursue education in our State.”
In this connection, he said the foundation stone of Shillong Engineering College will be laid adjacent to Shillong Polytechnic College at Mawlai and College of Architecture and Urban Planning in Tura.
As far as employment is concerned, Sangma, who was addressing a gathering at the inaugural programme of the Tourism and Travel Management Department course at Lady Keane College on Thursday afternoon, said the students should also look at spaces outside the government sector and “…to see bigger opportunities outside the government”.
Sangma also underlined the need to move from a conventional system of education to one that promotes and facilitates entrepreneurship and enhances job avenues in all sectors.
He said the challenge before the State and stakeholders lay in shaping the future of the new generation.
“The course for entrepreneurship should be a separate one,” he said, adding, “The young generation is ambitious and it is therefore
important to leverage their potential to realise their dreams. It is also important that they look for the bigger opportunities in areas outside the government. The mindset needs to change.”
The chief minister appreciated the college for introducing a course that is designed to make graduates “job providers” as against job seekers.
There are as many as 40 students in the first batch of the four-year course.
Partnering with Govt
Reiterating the need for partnerships among institutions, Sangma proposed to the college to partner with the Meghalaya Institute of Entrepreneurship (MIE).
The chief minister pointed out that tourism blends well with sectors like education and health because there is a need to inculcate the right perception in tourists and create diverse high-end products for a clientele that is ready to pay for quality. “As a matter of fact, things are changing with tourism prospering over the years. Land and real estate is costlier than before. Hotel rooms are at a premium now. Health tourism too is prospering with patients from Bangladesh coming to Meghalaya for treatment,” he said.
He went on to say that land in Shillong is costlier than lands in South European countries.
Sangma further said it was important that destinations attract tourists repeatedly because that is the success quotient.
“The government is focusing on involving the community in tourism in a bigger way. We believe in community tourism, eco tourism and towards this end are looking at developing potential circuits across the State,” he said.
CM interacts with 1st batch students
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma interacted with 25 students from the Department of Tourism and Travel Management at Lady Keane College on Thursday.
Shaking hands with them, he asked about their home states and was even heard speaking in Assamese and Manipuri, albeit shortly, with students from the respective states.
Earlier, while addressing the inauguration of the department at the college auditorium, he informed the audience that his mother was a student of English literature in the college and his wife was also a product of the college.
Speaking on how his wife, MLA Dikkanchi Shira, and his cabinet colleague MLA who got stuck in traffic while travelling back to Shillong, Sangma said, “If Shillong bypass would not have happened, visiting Shillong would have been a no-no.”
Commenting on the potentials of the state and the North East, he said, “Meghalaya is the epicenter of all activities.”
He asserted that if the northeastern region knows how to take advantage of how to utilise the diversity of the region and market the high end tourism.
